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This is more significant than past speculation in that the conference has said "Yes, we're definitely interesting and officially looking." But it's not that significant in that they said "This is still going to be a process and nothing is imminent."

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One note about Mizzou: While it would make sense geographically and a continuation of the Illinois/Mizzou rivalry would be great, I think the Big Ten feels that they are already in the St. Louis market with Illinois. Last time this was bandied about, expanding into new markets (for the Big Ten network) was a major priority. Personally, I feel their priority should be "which school can field teams that will compete nationally and help restore some prestige to our conference?"

With that said:

Notre Dame would be a clear #1 choice.

Mizzou would be a more than adequate backup.

If we go down the list and start seriously considering schools like Rutgers, then expansion should be shelved.

Schools like UConn and Syracuse are great for basketball, but I think the Big Ten is kinda hoping to add a football powerhouse more than a great basketball program.

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Too bad Pitt, WVU, and Syracuse can't all join the Big 10. I'd be in favor of that! Seriously though, the Big East has already been raided once. Losing Pitt or Syracuse would make it an even bigger joke to national sports radio people. For that reason I hope they go for Mizzou.

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Too bad Pitt, WVU, and Syracuse can't all join the Big 10. I'd be in favor of that! Seriously though, the Big East has already been raided once. Losing Pitt or Syracuse would make it an even bigger joke to national sports radio people. For that reason I hope they go for Mizzou.

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They have the AAU credentials the Big Ten wants. The Big Ten would also get the Des Moines media market as well plus natural rivalries with Minnesota and Iowa.

But, I can only dream and I'm sure there are other reason you buzzkills will come up with.

They already have the diminutive Des Moines market. Or at least enough of it to satisfy their needs. Iowa State lacks the athletic pedigree to truly appeal to the Big Ten and their academic pedigree is lower than the entire Conference.

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The way I see it, with academics and the rule towards location being key, Notre Dame is the obvious choice but we all know they're not going to ditch their NBC deal. That makes in my opinion then only 4 schools that really qualify

1. Pittsburgh

2. Missouri

3. Syracuse

4. Rutgers

All are AAU members and very well regarded academically and all fit the bill with bordering Big Ten states.

That being said, there's some reasons why 2-4 wouldn't join.

Missouri: Founding member of the Big 8 plus they lose a lot of Big 12 rivalries by joining the Big Ten.

Syracuse: This makes perfect sense in terms of academics and football (in terms of rebuilding the program), but there's two big problems with this: men's basketball and men's lacrosse. There's way too many rivalries that Syracuse has with basketball, and to kill off rivalry games with Georgetown, UConn, Villanova, Pitt, and of course playing in the Big East tournament at the Garden outweighs gaining pretty much only Penn State as a rival automatically. Then you realize how without Syracuse, the new Big East lacrosse conference would never be in existence, and considering how much of a hassle that was to create I don't see them ditching that so quickly.

Rutgers: This makes sense with the Big Ten expanding to the NYC market, but the problem is it's too far east. In the Big East they're already further east than 6 of their 7 football counterparts, 11 of the 15 basketball counterparts. Then apply that to the Big Ten, which extends much further to the west. It's not economical for a school in New Jersey to be sending their teams all the way out to Iowa and Minnesota for their non-revenue sports, either. Not to mention Rutgers doesn't really bring much to the table in sports outside football and women's basketball.

Therefore, I think Pittsburgh's the best choice. As much as it would hurt to see them leave the Big East from a football standpoint, and I wouldn't want to see them go, it makes the most sense. They're the best school academically in the Big East football conference and their location puts them right smack dab in the middle of Big Ten territory. The revival of the Penn State rivalry would be imminent plus considering it is the city of Pittsburgh a rivalry with Ohio State would be quick to develop, too. They're basketball program wouldn't hurt as much as a Syracuse by moving from the Big East to the Big Ten and I see can be a good fit for the conference. So I say if Notre Dame isn't willing to budge out of its independent status, then I'd expect Pitt to be heading over to the Big Ten

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Isn't there something in all the Big XII's team's contracts with the league that if they leave they must give 2 years notice and will receive no money from the league's revenue sharing... basically committing Athletic Suicide?

For this reason (and throwing out the AAU thing) Louisville and UC would be perfect fits for the Big Ten IMO.

But, because of the AAU thing, IMO Pittsburgh is really the only candidate here as I don't see the Big Ten going after Rutgers. Syracuse could work, but IMO they wouldn't leave the Big East. Also, getting an up-and-coming MAC program could be a possibility (i.e. Central Michigan) but I don't think they'd have the athletic budget to compete.

Another question: Will the Big Ten change their name? Or will they shoehorn a "12" into the logo? What names could be used?

Big Midwest Conference

Great 12 Conference

The Western Conference

Big North Conference

The Northern Conference

Anything?

I had the same question...that right there, corny as it may sound at first, seems like a decent answer. That works, at least in my mind, as a natural progression...from "Big" 10, to "Great" 12...especially since the Big XII already exists. It'll take time for people to make the adjustment--at one point the Big XII was the Big 8, but people have adjusted, so I think it might work.

As for who joins...I really have no rooting interest in the Big Ten, so I really don't care. Having said that, I think it'll eventually be Pitt...I just can't see ND leaving that NBC $$$ alone.

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Isn't there something in all the Big XII's team's contracts with the league that if they leave they must give 2 years notice and will receive no money from the league's revenue sharing... basically committing Athletic Suicide?

If Missouri's rumored complaints are accurate, this is not exactly a huge hit. The two years notice issue is slightly more problematic, but it can be worked around.

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Isn't there something in all the Big XII's team's contracts with the league that if they leave they must give 2 years notice and will receive no money from the league's revenue sharing... basically committing Athletic Suicide?

If Missouri's rumored complaints are accurate, this is not exactly a huge hit. The two years notice issue is slightly more problematic, but it can be worked around.

For all I know, this could be completely wrong, but this is what I have heard in the past.

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Another question: Will the Big Ten change their name? Or will they shoehorn a "12" into the logo? What names could be used?

Big Midwest Conference

Great 12 Conference

The Western Conference

Big North Conference

The Northern Conference

Anything?

I had the same question...that right there, corny as it may sound at first, seems like a decent answer. That works, at least in my mind, as a natural progression...from "Big" 10, to "Great" 12...especially since the Big XII already exists. It'll take time for people to make the adjustment--at one point the Big XII was the Big 8, but people have adjusted, so I think it might work.

As for who joins...I really have no rooting interest in the Big Ten, so I really don't care. Having said that, I think it'll eventually be Pitt...I just can't see ND leaving that NBC $$$ alone.

Who says they have to change the name at all? It didn't happen when they went to 11. Keep the name and work the number 12 into the logo. THAT would be genius.

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Isn't there something in all the Big XII's team's contracts with the league that if they leave they must give 2 years notice and will receive no money from the league's revenue sharing... basically committing Athletic Suicide?

If Missouri's rumored complaints are accurate, this is not exactly a huge hit. The two years notice issue is slightly more problematic, but it can be worked around.

For all I know, this could be completely wrong, but this is what I have heard in the past.

Well...I can't help but suspect that if revenue sharing was significant, Dan Hawkins would be getting unemployment benefits at the moment.

If a Big XII team is snatched, I hope the replacement team is Colorado State, so I can giggle mercilessly as their annual beatdown of their cross state rival becomes a Conference game. Of course, Colorado would fight this tooth and nail for just this very reason.

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No matter who the 12th School is, I believe it will come out of the Big East

1) Nortre Dame (Long Shot)

2) Rutgers

3) UConn

4) Pitt

5) West Virginia

6) Syracuse (Long Shot, Boeheim does not want to leave the Big East)

Now if ND(basketball only) leaves. The Big East should pick up

1) Xavier

2) Dayton

3) Charlotte

4) UMass

5) St. Joseph's

If any of the other 5 (footballs/bastketball) leaves. The Big East should pick up

1) Memphis

2) UAB

3) Marshall

I do think that if the Big 10 adds a team it will come from the Big East, most likely SU or Pitt. And Notre Dame is more than just basketball in the Big East, it is basically every sport but Football.

Also, do not count out UB from the Big East competition if they do expand. They are a great academic university, they have an expanding campus and student body, and bring a large market to the Big East, Buffalo, NY. Marshall brings a small town. However, Memphis and UAB do bring a large market, but I believe that UB and Memphis will be front runners because they are more in the Big East Territory. Don't count out Navy, Army, UCF and ECU. I believe they have a shot also, UCF could be the front runner because of their huge market and student base.

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They're not going to stop calling it the Big Ten. The brand's too valuable.

These discussions rarely interest me, but it's fun to laugh at the idea of schools not having the ~ACADEMIC INTEGRITY~ to join their cash-grabbing sports racket. [insert Big Ten School Here] can have all the distinctions in the world, but I bet you a chocolate milkshake there's always gonna be some cornerback sitting in remedial English who doesn't know he's holding his textbook upside down, and nobody cares one iota because the university brought Mr. Pineapple Upside-Down Book in to exploit him for millions of dollars.

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No matter who the 12th School is, I believe it will come out of the Big East

1) Nortre Dame (Long Shot)

2) Rutgers

3) UConn

4) Pitt

5) West Virginia

6) Syracuse (Long Shot, Boeheim does not want to leave the Big East)

Now if ND(basketball only) leaves. The Big East should pick up

1) Xavier

2) Dayton

3) Charlotte

4) UMass

5) St. Joseph's

If any of the other 5 (footballs/bastketball) leaves. The Big East should pick up

1) Memphis

2) UAB

3) Marshall

I do think that if the Big 10 adds a team it will come from the Big East, most likely SU or Pitt. And Notre Dame is more than just basketball in the Big East, it is basically every sport but Football.

Also, do not count out UB from the Big East competition if they do expand. They are a great academic university, they have an expanding campus and student body, and bring a large market to the Big East, Buffalo, NY. Marshall brings a small town. However, Memphis and UAB do bring a large market, but I believe that UB and Memphis will be front runners because they are more in the Big East Territory. Don't count out Navy, Army, UCF and ECU. I believe they have a shot also, UCF could be the front runner because of their huge market and student base.

That would make the UCF-USF "rivalry" a conference game, too. USF seems like they don't want to play UCF but not a "Oh, we're scared of them thing" but rather a "We're Big East, we don't have time for the CUSA UCF." They even claimed they only scheduled the games as a part of their exit agreement with CUSA. I don't think they'd fight it, but they wouldn't die to have it.

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A lot of my friends that are Louisville fans keep saying it'll likely be U of L or Cinci but honestly, I hadn't heard those rumors prior to today.